Rubber boot



Sept. 7 1926.

w. F. ROUSE RUBBER BOOT Filed April 21, 1925 Patented Sept. 7, 1926.

UNITED STATEEE is E WILLIAM F. nousn, or AKRON, onto, ASSIGNOR TQ THE r. GOUDRICH COMPANY, on

NEW YORK, N. Y., A GORPQRATTQN or EW YORK. V

" RUBBER noor.

Application filed April 21, 1925. Serial No. 24,757.

This invention relates to rubber boots of the flexible leg type and especially to boots adapted to be turned down to kneeheight or to be extended to their full height, at the choice'of the wearer, as in the case of the so-called wading or hip boots' The object of my invention is to provide in a flexible leg boot an improved means for supporting it at the calf of the leg of the wearer, either when turned down to knee height or extended to full height, which supporting means shall hold the boot with equal comfort and firmness to the leg of either tall or short wearers without adjustment of its attachment to the boot, and shall also hold the boot free and loose at the knee to permit wading, climbing, or other abnormal bending of the knee without subjecting the leg of the boot to destructive strains or the so wearer to undue fatigue, and further shall be permanently secured to the boot' leg in,

such manner 'as to allow a full and free entrance of the limb of the wearer into the boot and at the same time to be always in a po sition to bind about the leg of the wearer.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a hip-boot embodying my invention in its preferred form, the boot being shown on the leg of 9 the wearer.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the manner inwhich the straps are secured to the side walls of the lower leg portion of the boot.

Referring now to the drawings, a rubber boot is shown comprising a foot portion 10 and a flexible leg portion, the boot illustrated being a hip boot, that is, a boot having a lower leg portion 11 and an upper leg portion 12, the two together being of suflicient length to extend to the hip of the wearer. The upper leg portion 12 is provided with the usual short straps 13 and buckles 14 for holding the upper leg portion of the boot in cuffed condition when in turned down position, as shown in Fig. 1.

In carrying out the invention of the present application, I provide a pair of straps 15 and 16, the straps each having one end secured to an inner side wall of the lower leg portion of the boot at its top margin in such manner that the free ends of the straps extend forwardly from central positions in the side walls thereof, preferably at an upwardly inclined angle. The strap 16 is provided with a buckle 17 and is adapted to cooperate with strap 15 for support.-

ing the boot about the leg of the wearer, as i shown in Fig. 1; The straps 15 and 16 may be formed of any desirable material, such as fabric webbing, which may be rubber coated and vulcanized to render it impervious to moisture. It will be observed that when the boot is bound about the leg of the wearer by buckgular relations the straps 15 and 16 may assume when bound about the leg, the boot may be supported on a long or a short leg with comfort and security, and without the necessity of making adjustments in the structure of the supporting means. Further, the supporting force being applied to the boot at the back minimizes the tendency of the boot to slip on the foot at the heel, frequently a source of discomfort and injury to wearers of rubber boots as heretofore constructed. 7

Another distinctive advantage of the boot of the present invention resides in the fact that the boot is held. loose and free at the knee, as will be observed in Fig. 1, not only providing for the free passage of air past the supporting means, so that the boot will be cool and comfortable to the wearer, but also providing an extra fullness which permits a bending and lifting of the knee of the wearer, when the boot is extended to full height, without subjecting the material of drawings, it will be understood that the imsuch boots on the leg of the wearer, espeoially when used for walking in muddy soil. Further, while specific means for supporting the boot have been disclosed, I do not wholly limit the claims to this construction, since various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A rubber boot having a foot portion and a leg portion, and means within the leg portion adapted to hold a back-wall part thereof in supporting contact with the calf of the leg of the wearer, while providing a fullness at the front-wall of the leg portion adjacent the knee of the wearer.

2. A rubber boot having a foot portion and a leg portion, and two straps each havand free from the front'walls of the leg of the boot. 7 I

3. A rubber boot having a foot portion and a leg portion, and two straps each hav- 111g one end built into the opposite side walls,

respectively, of the leg portion of the boot, said straps being inclined forwardly and upwardly and being free of the front walls of the leg portion, and means for fastening together the free, forwardly-extending ends of said straps.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of April, 1925.

' V WILLIAM F. HOUSE. 

